iPhone 17 Pro I tried to pull the trigger on 17 Pro and couldn't

[acblue94]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

Did you even look at the Air?

 

[haruhiko]

If you don’t want it, you won’t make a post talking about it. I couldn’t care **** about the 16 Pro Max last year since it was really almost the same as the 15 Pro Max. This year I upgraded to the 17PM, I couldn’t be happier, very solid phone. Deep down you want it, but you just have to find people to agree with you that it’s not good. But you care.

 

[matzoek]

Ok thanks for the info.

 

[Bethanie21]

Better cellular modem: true, at least if I compare the Air with my old 13 Pro Max. Nice little upgrade. In my area, I would have gotten the same upgrade by switching phone carriers.

Dynamic island as a reason to upgrade?? I think it’s same dog sh** different collar… If this is a reason to change phone, I don't understand anything anymore.

Better wifi modem yes. In practice… same experience for me.

Better screen: very needed upgrade that outdoors peak brightness. One of the weakest points of my 13PM.

Better battery: I just know my old 13 PM was a beast. At least for +2 years. And it was great with a 7,6 mm body.

USB-C: it’s preferable, but.. Just that.

Satellite: it’s good to know that’s exists for sure.

Better chip: it’s a nice update too. It feels a little quicker now. But, my old 13 PM was perfectly fine with a normal use (I don’t play games or edit movies).

Stronger screen: it’s a clear plus. But it’s true that my caseless 4 years old 13 PM was in mint condition. Some few micro scratches on the screen barely noticeable.



But we have to tell everything…

The 17 Pros look tremendously inferior to the 13 Pros. What is objective is to say that the 17 Pros have a more “tool” look. It’s like Apple Watch Ultra, it’s cool wearing it during a outdoor activity or something, but… it’s not for me….

The 17 Pros are 8,8 mm thicker while 13 Pros are 7,6 mm. Better battery? Sure with a chubbyphone. If your phone get chubbier and reach 10 mm body, you will obtain better battery too.

And the most important thing… 13 Pros works perfectly for an average user. You are not going to experience nothing new with a 17 Pro, just a refined better experience. I used my 13PM in the design and construction process of my new home with apps like BIMx and the device worked flawless until this actual year (beyond battery degradation…).

I think it is perfectly reasonable that there are people who find no reason to change.

I was absolutely sure I'd keep my 13 Pro Max for another year, until I saw the Air and fell in love... I thought this device would offer me a different experience, and it has, even though it has its downsides, like the battery.

But I wouldn't have bought a 17 Pro Max, not a chance. Not with that thickness, and not with that utilitarian look and aluminum body.

You say the phone is ‘chubby’ like it’s some absolute brick 😂 it’s really not. I think you’re just trying to justify in your mind buying the Air

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The 17 Pro is an objectively better phone (ignoring stainless steel vs aluminum).

The thing is smartphones are pretty mature at this point that even 4 year old models remain quite serviceable. They may not have all the bells and whistles of the new models but they're still good devices.

Very true! I have an iPhone 13 which is my first iPhone and it does everything I need it too. It also has one feature the iPhone 14/15/16/17 no longer have, a SIM tray.

I'm not against eSIM and eventually I will go all in on eSIM but I still find it more convenient for me to use a physical SIM card.

 

[Bethanie21]

If you don’t want it, you won’t make a post talking about it. I couldn’t care **** about the 16 Pro Max last year since it was really almost the same as the 15 Pro Max. This year I upgraded to the 17PM, I couldn’t be happier, very solid phone. Deep down you want it, but you just have to find people to agree with you that it’s not good. But you care.

Exactly! I kept my 14 Pro for 2 years, didn’t get the 15 or 16 Pro but I didn’t come on here to slag them off when they launched. People just seem to need to justify to themselves publicly why keeping their old phone is better. Doesn’t mean the new ones are rubbish.

 

[Jovijoker]

Im seeing a lot of similar posts. Ive never known a year where the new iPhone has had such a negative impression. I returned my 17 pro and kept my 16 pro.

My Case Is Worse Today I'm Going To Return My 17 Pro Max Silver Y Keep My 12 Pro Max!

Btw I Never Imagined That Apple Would Make Such An Ugly And Cheap Design!

 

[DynaFXD]

Eh. Our carrier basically “gives” us new phones every 30 months, provided we have a qualifying trade in. Carrier lock-in is not an issue AFAIC. My turn came around and really enjoying the 17P. FWIW, hold on to a phone too long and it will become worthless as a trade in or p2p sale. Just sayin…

 

[beerglass007]

I upgraded from 16P to 17P and yeah nothing new. In fact I found the camera odd in some cases

I wasn't going to upgrade when I saw the key note but ended up getting caught up in the hype and ordered the Orange

It was amazing but soon felt I might not be able to last a year with this colour and with no real standard features returned it.

If I was coming from anything less than 15P I think its worth it

I miss the days of upgrading each year and I like tech and phones but its the second time ever I've not upgraded

The iPhone XS was to much like the X and was the first time I didn't, now 17P

Here's hoping 18 is a killer year to upgrade

 

[tolili alert]

You say the phone is ‘chubby’ like it’s some absolute brick 😂 it’s really not. I think you’re just trying to justify in your mind buying the Air

I think you don't know which way the wind blows.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

For me, going from 13 Pro to 15 Pro, the camera quality went down the toilet because of the forced bokeh effect that surrounds the centre of the shot. This severely downgraded the qulity of my scans, and I use my iPhone to scan documents regularly.

I went from a 13 Pro to my current 16 Pro, and I *still* like the 13 Pro's cameras better than my 16.. The processing just kills any natural shadows and makes everything lighter, including areas that shouldn't be.

All-in-all, it was the most lackluster upgrade I have had on iPhone..the only difference I really like is usb-c. This will probably be the last Pro model iPhone I own.

 

[ZiBart]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

Its absolutely a better phone in almost every way. But you, like many others including me, probably bought a Pro for a couple features and the novelty of having the most premium feeling iPhone while having the overhead to keep it longer. And didnt care about most other “Pro” stuff. Now, Apple, has made a clear distinction between Premium looking/feeling (Air) and a Pro tool (17 Pro). They used to try to mash these two categories into one. I applaud it but after trying the Air, it went back. I missed the Ultrawide too much. Battery was ok but a worry in a year or two. Speaker was the least bothersome. But it is def the phone for me if they can address these issues in the next revision. The base is for me today but, having a 15 Pro Max, it feels like a downgrade other than the selfie cam. So ill either keep my 15PM another year or two in hopes that the Air gets upgrades i miss or the future base also gets a lot better then my 15PM. Or i cave, and get a Pro again now, but only for the overhead this time.

 

[ayephoner]

Eh. Our carrier basically “gives” us new phones every 30 months, provided we have a qualifying trade in. Carrier lock-in is not an issue AFAIC. My turn came around and really enjoying the 17P. FWIW, hold on to a phone too long and it will become worthless as a trade in or p2p sale. Just sayin…

I'm in a similar boat. I'm actually switching carriers at some point this fall and plan to upgrade just because I can. I have a 15pm, but will get a 17pm. I don't like some of the negative things floating around, but ultimately I know that it's a much better device than the one I have and will suit me well for 2-5 years in the future.

 

[valinda]

The 13 pro is still a very good phone. I have one. I think next years pro will not be very different.

 

[pdoherty]

Absolutely love my unapologetically orange PM coming from 16 PM!

Some people can overthink anything

If you upgraded from a single generation back, it sounds like maybe you were 'underthinking' it? (ie not much of an upgrade for the cost involved)

 

[ayephoner]

If you upgraded from a single generation back, it sounds like maybe you were 'underthinking' it? (ie not much of an upgrade for the cost involved)

You never know what someone else's budget, needs, circumstances are. Buying one generation later makes sense to lots of people.

 

[lkalliance]

I finally made the jump to pro (at least I have committed to it: my phone won't be here for a month). In fact the whole family upgraded, got a good deal from T Mobile to switch. My family plan tech:

Two iPhone 13 minis -> One iPhone 17 one iPhone 17 pro
iPhone 12 mini -> iPhone 17
iPhone SE (2020) -> iPhone 17

You can see we get some decent mileage from our phones. So we all got 17's; I got the pro.

I have for years wanted the iPhone pro's telephoto lens. I see it as an opportunity to leave my DSLR at home more often. Not that I'm a professional, but I guess prosumer? Enough to carry around my bulkier camera to family outings and vacations. I would often feel silly considering shelling out for a pro JUST for the telephoto lens. In fact I feel sheepish getting all this other awesome tech that I don't think I need (though I am sure to some extent I will enjoy) But the deal T Mobile offered made it affordable.

I do realize that this is NOT the same as what the OP is talking about: he's talking about going pro to pro, I'm going from base model to pro. But, still, it was a long time coming for me.

Something I think about around this decision every year: my iPhone is an absolutely required device for me for a medical reason. I'm not going to not have a smart phone. But I don't do as much with it otherwise as certainly most or all people posting here. Is that because I don't have a phone currently capable of more? My 13 mini can certainly do more than I ask of it now. I will definitely shoot more, but I am very interested in seeing if I do more than I currently do otherwise. Perhaps it will do what I do now but smoother and better.

 

[GioGiusi]

I don’t understand these posts.

13 pro to 17 pro

Better cellular modem, better camera’s, better WiFi modem, better screen, better battery, USB-C, satellite connectivity, better processor, seemingly stronger screen, Dynamic Island, ray tracing.

If you don’t like the phone. Fine. But the 17 pro is definitely a better phone than the 13 pro.

You missed about 3/4 of the improvements from 13 to 17.

 

[GioGiusi]

I did, but the lack of the ultra wide camera on the air was a dealbreaker for me….
I did like the feel of the air and it was very light

Why is that exactly? The Ultra Wide camera on everything prior to the 17 Pro is a pretty terrible camera. It takes awful pictures except in the brightest outdoor sun.

 

[A1423]

You missed about 3/4 of the improvements from 13 to 17.

I guess that sort of reinforces my point. Lo

 

[Danorak81]

I have for years wanted the iPhone pro's telephoto lens. I see it as an opportunity to leave my DSLR at home more often.

I have a now ancient EOS400D with a 50-300 and 50-500 Sigma Lens. Both still take amazing photos, but the advancements in camera tech (whether people think Apple is behind or not), has meant that I can take some amazing, high quality photos with a device that just slips into my pocket. SLR quality? No. But, they say the best camera you have is the one you have with you, and over the years, the iPhone has meant I've captured more of what's important, and some cracking photos to boot. I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, that yes, they do have their limitations, but if you learn to work with what you have (that sounds like a negative with the phone, but it's not!), you can still take amazing photos.

Sorry, little off topic, but that is why I was happy to upgrade from the 15PM to the 17PM.

 

[lkalliance]

if you learn to work with what you have (that sounds like a negative with the phone, but it's not!), you can still take amazing photos.

Each time I’ve upgraded (which I only do every four years or so) I am amazed at how much better photos I can take than with my last phone. But over time I hit those limitations.

With a pro, I am expecting such amazing photos—in that context. If I ever truly need top-quality pics I’ll still bring m Canon.

 

[GioGiusi]

From 13 Pro to 17 Pro? LMAOOOO!

Processor & Performance
• From A15 Bionic → A19 Pro (3 nm architecture)
• Better sustained performance via vapor-chamber cooling + improved thermal design
• Increased memory: 6 GB (13 Pro) → ~12 GB (17 Pro)
Display & Design
• Slightly larger and higher resolution display: 6.1-inch → 6.3-inch (with refined bezels)
• Better brightness / anti-reflection coatings etc. (ProMotion and improved display tech)
• Structural redesign: now a heat-forged aluminum unibody to aid thermal dissipation
• Upgraded Ceramic Shield 2 (front scratch resistance, back)
Camera & Imaging
• All three rear cameras now 48 MP Fusion sensors (vs lower MP previously)
• Telephoto lens: new tetraprism design, 4× optical + up to 8× “optical-quality” zoom (via sensor cropping)
• Front camera upgraded (Center Stage, higher MP)
• Dual Capture / ability to use multiple cameras for video more flexibly
Battery & Charging / Power Efficiency
• Much larger battery: 3,095 mAh (13 Pro) → ~4,252 mAh (17 Pro)
• Better energy efficiency (new chip + architecture) → longer real-world battery life
• Change to USB-C (from Lightning) for charging/data interface
• Wireless charging upgraded (MagSafe / Qi improvements)
Software & Security
• Ships with iOS 26
• Introduction of Memory Integrity Enforcement (hardware + OS security feature) in 17 Pro line
Other hardware / features
• IP68 dust / water resistance maintained/equal or better
• Action Button
• Camera Control
• More modular / repair-friendly design: some improvements to battery replacement and components layout

..but yeah bro. Just can't justify. Troll harder Samsung.

 

[Willjstewart]

So I wanted to get my hands on the new 17 Pro with the intention of buying one in the Silver color. I picked one up in the Apple Store and honestly it felt pretty much the same as my 13 Pro (size & weight). If it weighed a little less that would have been a plus. Better camera?... sure but then again I don't take 48 megapixel photos on a day to day basis and probably wouldn't anyway and I don't care about 8X optical zoom vs my 4X which is plenty for me.
All in all I was very under impressed with the new 17 offering, especially now with the scratchgate issues.
My 13 Pro, which by the way looks almost brand new with not a single scratch still has 84% battery life.....
I will look forward to the 18 series next year.....

This is another one of those eye rolling posts where someone’s final straw for not getting the new phone is “scratchgate” or whatever new scandal is invented. Although there does appear to be a decent percentage of forum posters here who are S&M freaks who use their phones naked in the wild, 99% of people in the real world that I notice all use cases and your aluminum should shine beautifully for years. Objectively this phone is better in every respect. For example, I don’t think the general public realizes at all, just the improvements in cellular band connectivity alone in newer generations is awesome. Speeds really do increase! Another - the lenses’ low light abilities always improves. What I haven’t heard enough and which I believe to be a major factor is the economy… People can’t afford to get another phone right now.

 

[Fraud Goblin]

Just get every new phone every year or don’t who cares.